I Grow Fonder Every Day
by oliviahotchner
Summary: SEQUEL TO UNDERCOVER OPERATION. A look on Emily and Hotch's relationship after the case in New York. How will they balance their new status with their jobs? How will Haley take it? Let's follow our favorite couple through their jorney to stay together, against anything and anyone, falling even deeper for each other in the way.
1. Shall we celebrate?

**A/N: Well, as promised, here is the sequel to Undercover Operation. My inital plan is to make this in ten chapters, tops. Maybe we'll prolong it, maybe not. We'll follow them through their relationship after New York, with Jack, Haley, Strauss and their own insecurities. I sincerely hope you guys like this and that it follows your expectations. The updates won't be daily because of my work and my other fics, but I'll do my best to post it regularly.**

 **The title of this fic came from one of my favorite songs: One and Only - Adele.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own CM.**

Chapter 1: Shall we celebrate?

"Come in…" His voice called from inside and Emily opened the door with a smile.

"Hey you…" She greeted him and felt her heart fluttering at the sight of his smile at her.

"Hi, sweetheart." He dropped his pen down and stood up, walking towards her. "Are you finished yet?" He asked pulling her into his arms and placing a light kiss on her forehead. It was over seven pm and they were the last ones at the office. The team had come back from a case in Wisconsin earlier that evening and Hotch sent everybody home. Emily chose to stay with him to finish her reports and wait for him so they could go home together.

Home now meant Emily's condo, since the couple spent the majority of their time there. Her closet was now filled with suits, dress shirts, jeans and socks and her bathroom's cabinet had a whole shelf especially to him, with his shave kit, deodorant and other things. Emily's bed now was clearly used by two people. The nightstand on the right side had her favorite lamp, a few books and her alarm. On the left one now was Hotch's reading glasses, his own lamp that he brought from his place, a couple of books and a new alarm for the times he needed to get up earlier.

Emily couldn't believe that it was now two months since that night in New York. Sometimes it seemed like it had been years since they got together because things were so easy and natural that it scared her. They fit together perfectly and even though there were a few arguments, it was the best relationship she'd ever had.

"Yep. All done." She said with a nod. "I was wondering if I could steal my boyfriend for the night… you know, we have a two month anniversary to celebrate…" She said raising her eyebrows at him. The blinds were shut and the bullpen was almost empty so they were more relaxed about being together like that. Strauss was in DC for the whole week filling a few meetings so they didn't have to worry about her either. They managed to keep their relationship out of the office until now and, with the help of the team, no incidents happened so far to jeopardize their jobs.

"Mmm, we do, uh?" He asked with a grin. "And how will we celebrate this two month anniversary, Agent Prentiss?" He asked right against her ear, nipping her earlobe.

Emily moaned, arching her back to him and tightening her grip on his shoulders. "Mmm, I may or may not have bought a very slutty negligee for you to rip off of me…" She said with a lusty voice and he squeezed her hips, pressing her hard against his frame. "Maybe I also bought a bottle of our favorite Sauvignon and ordered from our favorite Italian, which by the way, is due to be delivered in thirty minutes…" She said looking at her watch.

"Mmm, Italian for dinner and Emily as desert… my favorite…" He said and she chuckled breathlessly against his ear.

"Can we go then?" She asked pulling back to look at him.

"Of course we can, sweetheart. I was just finishing signing my last reports." He said leaning down to kiss her slowly.

She moaned against his mouth and ran her fingers through his short hair while his hands caressed her back through the fabric of her shirt. "Then let's go… I'm getting a feeling that our dinner will be postponed… the desert seems way more appealing right now…" She said with a grin and he chuckled at her.

"I'd have to agree with you in this point, Agent Prentiss." He said leaning in to another kiss. "I love you so much, sweetheart…" He whispered against her lips. "Each day a bit more…"

"I love you too…" She whispered back, feeling her eyes watering at his words. She couldn't believe in her luck. She spent so many years alone, going from one meaningless relationship to another, without ever having someone truly capable of caring for her and accepting her the way she is, with all her flaws and faults. She never had someone to take care of her, to cherish her, to look at her with adoration, with truly deep love.

And now here she was, in the arms of the bravest, strongest and most honorable man she'd ever met, and he was looking at her as if she was the only woman in the earth, his hazel eyes so full of love and caring. She loved the way he treated her every single day, like a real and strong woman, with respect and admiration, but also cherishing and touching her like the most delicate and expensive china, making her feel so complete and whole that she, sometimes, felt as if she would burst into tiny little pieces.

"Let's go. Otherwise, we'll lose the dinner…" He said pulling back and walking behind his desk to grab his jacket and briefcase and bag. "Maybe if we hurry we can even stop by that bakery you like and grab some chocolate cake… you know, as a real desert…" He suggested.

"That sounds heavenly…" Emily hummed at him with a smile. He rested a hand on the small of her back and leaded them out to the bullpen, walking past her desk to grab her coat and bag, and then going towards the elevators. "I'm so glad we got back in time to celebrate…" She said with a happy sigh once they were alone in the elevator.

The last couple of months had been really busy for the BAU A Team. They worked on seven cases in the last eight weeks, one right after the other, spending more time out of state than at home. Their one moth anniversary was during a horrible case in Sacramento, involving the abduction and abuse of three eight-years-old boys, leaving the whole team deeply affected. It was the only time the couple broke the rule of never-on-cases and Emily spent the night in Hotch's room, cuddling with him the whole night and comforting him, since he had found the third body that same day.

"I'm glad too, sweetheart. Once Strauss comes back I'll try to get us a week off rotation. We really need it…" He said. The elevator's doors opened to the parking lot and they walked towards their cars.

"That's good. Maybe we could even get a weekend away… just us…" She said quietly and he smiled at her.

"That would be heaven…" He said. They reached her car and stopped at the driver's door. "You go ahead and wait for our dinner at home. I'll stop to grab our cake and meet you there…" He said and she nodded.

"Drive safely…" She murmured getting into the driver's seat.

"You too, sweetheart." He said with a smile before walking towards his SUV.

\\*\\*\\*\

Emily hurried home just in time to catch the delivery boy. She paid for their dinner and arranged the table quickly, lighting a couple of candles and putting the wine in the ice bucket. She put the food on the oven and raced upstairs to freshen up and get changed. She took off her clothes and put the lace lingerie she had bought for this night. It was a black set of bra and panties with a few silver details and a garter belt high-tight stocking pantyhose and she felt incredibly sexy with it.

She finished it with a simple navy-blue dress with a heart-shaped low-cut, knowing it was his favorite color, and a pair of black peep-toes. She brushed her hair quickly, looking at the clock and knowing that he would be opening the front door at any minute. She reapplied her mascara and put some light-pink lip-gloss just in time there was a knock on the door.

She frowned as she walked downstairs, knowing that Hotch had his own key ever since their second week together. She looked through the peephole and gasped at the sight of her oh-so handsome boyfriend standing outside, tie and jacket long lost, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows just in the way he knew she loved and the two first buttons of his white shirt opened. In his left hand there was a bag of her favorite bakery and in his right one there was a huge bouquet of white lilies, her favorites.

She opened the door with teary eyes and smiled trembling at him. "Jesus Christ…" It was his turn to gasp at her sight. Her body was deliciously curvy against the navy-blue fabric of her dress and her dark eyes were sparkling with happiness and tears and he swallowed heavily taking her in. "You look absolutely breathtaking, sweetheart…" He breathed taking another look at her from head to toe.

"I swear I just threw it on…" She joked through her tears and he chuckled at her.

"Happy two month anniversary, babe…" He said handing her the flowers and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you… they're so beautiful…" She said quietly. "Come in…" She rushed him inside, closing the door behind them. "Why didn't you use your key?"

"Well… while I was buying these flowers I realized that I never took you on an actual date. I know we're not going out, which I'm glad because you look so debauched that I would have to keep the men away from you with a stick…" He said and she chuckled. "But I thought, why not to make this our first real date? Even if it's an indoors date." He shrugged. "And knocking on the door seemed to be more date-ish…" He finished.

"Well… I loved the surprise… thank you…" She said leaning up to kiss him slowly. He cupped the back of her head and kissed her back thoroughly, savoring the taste of her as a thirsty man, sinking into her embrace and drowning himself on her. After a little over eight weeks, Hotch still couldn't believe that he was here, with this woman in his arms, so devoted, so entirely his, like he never allowed himself to dream of.

He pulled back slowly, stealing a few more little kisses before locking his eyes with hers. The lust on her face sent shivers through his spine and he physically shivered. "As much as we both want to take this upstairs so I can unwrap this magnificent present" he said running his hands through her dress "let's not waste an amazing meal which it smells delicious, by the way. Let's have our dinner, drink our wine and then we can take our time to love each other properly, okay?" He suggested and she nodded.

"Okay… the night is still young…" She said with a grin and he nodded once with a smile. They went to the kitchen and she put her lilies on a vase and placed them on the table with the candles. He took the food out of the oven and put it on a beautiful porcelain tray before placing it on the table. Emily gave him the bottle of wine and the corkscrew and picked two glasses for him to pour in it. They sat on the dining table and Emily served him with his sausage stew with tomatoes, garlic and red onions, and her own mix of asparagus with tomatoes, green onions and parmesan cheese.

"I think I'm going to call Haley to pick Jack this weekend…" Hotch said in the middle of their dinner. "It's been a while since I had him for a sleepover… I only managed to get a few dinners and one playdate in the last three months… I miss him…" He said and Emily took his hand and squeezed it supportively.

"I know, hun. And you really should. I'm sure he'll be thrilled." She said with a smile.

"I want you to meet him. Officially…" He said and she widened her eyes. "It's been two months, Emily. It passed time already…"

"I know… I know… it's just… what if he doesn't like me?" She asked truly anxious. Jack was big deal. She knew how much Hotch was insane about him and if the little boy wasn't okay with their relationship she knew for sure that it was really possible that he would end it, or at least pump some breaks into their speed.

Hotch chuckled at her, taking her hand to his lips and kissing it. "Sweetheart, that's impossible. I've seen you interacting with children tons of times and you're always awesome. You just have a gift. You were born to be a mother, Emily. I saw this in your eyes ever since Carrie Ortiz. I'm not saying that you'll be Jack's mother. Haley would kill me if I even think that…" he said with a shiver "but you know how serious I am about this, about us. And when we take the next step, I know that you will be the best motherly figure for Jack as his stepmother. And I also know that you'll be a fantastic mother to any children God allows us to have…" He said and smiled at the sight of her tears. "You're it for me, Emily. In everything. Including Jack."

"How is that you always know just the right thing to say?" She asked him with a watery chuckle.

"I'm a lawyer, sweetheart." He answered evenly and she laughed out loud at him.

"Okay, fair enough." She said chuckling before sobering up again. "Okay… but what about Haley?"

"What about her?" He asked with a frown.

"Do you think she'll be okay with this? With me in Jack's life?"

"She doesn't have a single reason to make a fuss of it. She was the one who asked for the divorce. She was the one who took my son away without any explanation. She was the one who cheated on me while we were still together, in the presence of my son. She doesn't have a say in this and she better not start with any games or tricks because she'll lose it. I don't own her anything and I have the right of being with whoever I want. And I'm Jack's father, I also know what's good for him and you don't put him in any harm or danger… she doesn't have a reason to start any problems…" He said firmly.

"I sure hope so…" Emily said softly.

"And even if she does, sweetheart, we'll face it together. I have the law at my side and if she makes any attempt to keep me away from Jack I will use it. I hope it doesn't get to this point because I don't want to put Jack into this mess, but I'll do whatever I have to do to keep you two with me. You and Jack are the most important people in my world. I won't give up." He said leaning in to kiss her softly.

"I love you…" She whispered against his lips once he pulled back and he whispered back to her.

"Now, if you're finished with this" he said gesturing to her almost empty plate "I'd like very much to take you to our bed and start to savor my desert, please…" He said standing up and offering his hand to her.

She smiled and placed her hand in his. "As you wish, my love…"

 **A/N: So, do you guys think Haley will be okay about it? *suspense song* Please, leave me some reviews and tell me what you thought of this.**

 **I'm sorry for any errors.**


	2. Of ex wives and living arrangements

**A/N: Hey everyone. As I explained in Of Villains and Heroes I was going through some rough patch with a lot of crap but I'm getting back on my track and my uptades will be more regular now. Here is the second chapter and we'll have the announcement to Haley. Let's see how she'll take it :)**

 **There're probably a few mistakes because I read only once and it's unbeta'd, so I'm sorry.**

 **I won't be able to post on UT today, unfortunately, but I'll make an effort to post it tomorrow. The chapter is half ready, I just need to adjust some things, so maybe I'll be able to do it.**

Chapter 2: Of ex-wives and new living arrangements.

"Honey, did you see my red tie?" Hotch asked from the closet.

Emily actually snorted and raised an amused eyebrow at him. "You're joking, right? Which one are we talking about? You own like one-hundred red ties…" She teased and he chuckled.

"That red-blood one, with a few yellow-gold lines… I don't know if I brought it here already or if it's in my place…" He murmured while checking his drawer again.

"I don't think it's here, babe. I don't remember you using it in the last couple of months…" She said while finishing drying her hair.

"Damn. I really wanted to use it today…" He said picking a purple one with silver lines.

Emily chuckled at the forty-something-years old man actually pouting because of a _tie_ as she walked out of the bedroom. "Sorry, hun. We can swing by your place tonight after work and pack some other things…" She suggested.

"I suppose we can do that…" He mumbled while finishing the knot of his tie. Emily smiled at him, all dressed in his Hotch uniform, white dress shirt and dark-grey suit with the purple tie, his hair perfectly combed. She considered voicing her thoughts about their living arrangements, something that was on her mind for quite a while, but she just shrugged and decided to let go. "What is it?" She heard him asking and looked up to see his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"What?" She asked and he frowned, closing the distance between them.

"You have something in your mind, I can tell…" He said circling her waist with his arms.

"It's nothing, Aaron… just a silly thought…" She said dismissively and leaned up to kiss his lips as a tentative to distract him. Of course it didn't work.

"Hey. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?" He said with a serious tone and she sighed, dropping her head against his shoulder.

"It's just… I think it would be easier if your things were all here. I mean, when was the last time you stayed in your apartment for the night?" She asked rhetorically. "So, if you move in here permanently all your favorite ties would be here any time you wanted…" She said, still looking to his covered chest and missing the amused smile on the elder's lips.

"Okay." He simply said and just then her head snapped up in surprise.

"What?"

"Okay." He repeated with a smile. "Tonight, after we leave work we're going to swing by my place and then we're going to pack a really big suitcase. And I'm going to start taking care of my lease and everything. And then we're going to invite the team sometime this weekend to help to lift some boxes. Okay?" He finished, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you serious?" She whispered.

"Sweetheart, this is your home. I wasn't going to invite myself in like that. I started to take your closet as an attempt to hint you that I was very interested in making this my permanent home, but until you invited me in, like you just did, I wouldn't just impose my presence here like that, even if know with absolute certain that you love me as much as I love you…" He explained and the grin that broke on her face was enough to make his legs tremble.

"I do…" She whispered with tears in her eyes. "I do love you… more than anything…" She leaned in to kiss him once more and could feel his lips curved into a smile.

\\*\\*\\*\

Friday evening, Hotch found himself ringing the doorbell of his old house. He had called Haley earlier and asked if he could take Jack until Saturday night and also saying that he needed to talk to her about something. In the three days that he was officially living with Emily they had upgraded the guest room, repainting the wall to a light shade of blue and bought some new bedsheets, with cars, dinosaurs, animals and a Captain America one. They had also bought some toys, games and a new small table to be used for homework and coloring books.

He smiled slightly and the excitement-slash-terror in his girlfriend's face when he said he was going to pick his son to spend the night and the Saturday with them. He knew for sure that Jack would take Emily wonderfully and that she would love and take care of him as her own from the very first moment. That was obvious from the way she dedicated herself into turning the apartment childproof and with all the change into the boy's new room.

Unfortunately, as he listened at the movement behind the door, there was another variable that could threaten their happiness: his ex-wife. Ever since their divorce, almost two years ago, he had never been involved with anyone so introducing a new woman in his life was a new deal and he wasn't a little interested in Haley's reaction to that. It could go both ways; she could make a scene of it and decide to turn his life into a hell, things concerned to his relationship with his son, or she could to not give a shit about it, which would be the perfect and righter scenario.

He honestly hoped for the last option because if his ex decided to make things hard for him because of needless jealousy, well, then things would get pretty bad between them.

"Hey…" She greeted him with a tight smile as she opened the door and he nodded at her once. "Come in…"

"Hi. How are you?" He asked politely while they went to the living room.

"I'm good, thanks." She answered. "Jack, baby, your father is here…" She called upstairs and they quickly heard the small footsteps. "Don't run on the stairs…" She warned and the boy walked down quickly but carefully, a big toothless smile on his face.

"Daddy!" He shrieked as he jumped into his father's arms. "I missed you!"

Hotch swallowed hard at the words and buried is face on the sand hair of his boy. "I missed you too, buddy… so much…" He whispered. He pulled him down and smiled widely. "Are you ready for our sleepover?" He asked and the boy nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! I'm taking my new Captain America and all the trucks I got when grandma came to see me!" He said and Hotch chuckled.

"Okay, buddy. How about you go check your bag and see if you packed everything? Mommy and I need to have a grown-up talk now so I'll call you when we're ready to go, right?" He said and Jack nodded obediently.

"Kay daddy…" He watched the boy walking upstairs carefully and then turned around to face Haley again.

"So, what do you need to talk to me?" Haley asked, motioning to the couch and taking a seat.

"There were a few changes in my life recently and it concerns to Jack, so I need to tell you…I started seeing someone, a couple of months ago…" He started and watched her eyes widening in surprise. "It's serious, really serious. We've known each other for almost three years and it was something that was built with time. I'm in love with her and I want to start a family with her someday… she's going to be around from now on, and if I have my way she will be around for the rest of my life, so I will introduce her to Jack tonight and I want them to have a good relationship…" He blurted all in once and the shock on her face just increased at each word.

She took a few moments to be able to form words. "Let me get this straight, you're dating?" She clarified.

"Dating seems too small to describe our relationship…" Hotch said sincerely. "She's my partner… we're together every single day and she's much more than a simple girlfriend…"

"Wow. I really did not see that coming…" She said in awe. "Wait a minute, you said you two know each other for over three years?" She asked confused.

"Yes, we do…" He confirmed.

"Who is she, Aaron?" She asked tightly. "Do I know her?"

"Yes, you do. It's Emily… Emily Prentiss…" He said and watched the disbelief in her face.

"Your subordinate? Are you insane?"

"Yes, she is my subordinate and we're both very aware of the risks we're taking but we both agree that it's worth it…" He shrugged.

"I bet your boss is thrilled with this…" She said sarcastically.

"She doesn't know yet. No one but the team knows…"

"So you're having an affair? A prohibited affair with your employee? Very classy, Aaron…" She spat with venom and Hotch took a deep breath to calm down before answering.

"I'm not having any affair. I'm in a committed relationship with a woman I'm deeply in love with and we're waiting a while to tell the Bureau to have ground to prove that we can be objective while working together. It's not a dirty little secret. It's our life and we took this decision together…" He said firmly, hoping that it would be enough to make her back off.

"And what if your boss doesn't care about this ground, Aaron? What if you're both reprimanded because of that?" She asked nastily.

"Then we'll deal with that. I can step down or get a transfer and so can she. We'll deal with it when we have to…" He told her and apparently it was the last straw.

"So, you're saying that for Emily you would step down or get a transfer with no problem but when I asked because I wanted you around more often you couldn't do it?" She asked incredulously.

Hotch sighed tiredly before answering. "Haley, this isn't a competition. My relationship with Emily is too much different from ours to even begin to compare. Yes, I would take a transfer if I needed to but not because I love her more or because she's more important. It's because today I'm a different man from when we were married. I'd like to think that I learned with my mistakes and that made me a better person, a better partner and maybe someday a better husband. Emily is my priority, along with Jack, and I won't let the job get in the way this time." He tried to explain.

"You must really love her…" There was resignation but also a bit of rancor in her voice.

"I do. I love her like I never thought I could, not after everything. And I'm not about to let it slip away this time…" He said truthfully.

"Well… it's not like I can do anything about it, so…" She said.

"No, you can't." He affirmed. "There's something else…" He continued and she raised her eyebrow. "I moved into her condo this week…"

"What?"

"We're living together. We already were ever since the beginning, but this week we made it official. I'm breaking my lease as soon as I can and there're still a few books and other things at my apartment but my things are mostly at Emily's now, so there's my home…" He explained.

"So Jack will be sleeping at her place tonight?" She asked and there was too much anger in her voice.

"No. He will be sleeping at our place. We turned the guest room into his room and he'll have his own space there…" He said and watched her struggling to get calm.

"Fine." She spat after a few minutes. "But I want to see this place with my own eyes later…" She said and he nodded.

"Fair enough. We'll set a date and you can go check the place like you did with my old apartment. But now, I'd like to take my son and introduce him to Emily without interferences, so we can enjoy our time together…" He said and she nodded reluctantly.

"Okay…" He got up from the couch and went to call Jack when she called him again. "Aaron?" He looked back at her and turned a questionably eyebrow. "Are you happy with her?"

There wasn't a hesitation in his voice when he answered promptly. "Very much so." He waited her nod before turning his back to her again. "Jack? C'mon buddy! We have to go!" He called and smiled when the little boy raced downstairs with his bag on his back and a small Captain America toy in his hands. "Ready to go?"

"Ready!" He cried excitedly.

"Then let's go home, buddy… I have a surprise for you…"

 **A/N: Next chapter we'll have a little Emily/Jack moment. Reviews are incredibly appreciated.**


	3. Important People

**A/N: It's been forever, but I'm back. Sorry for the delay. Here is the introduction between Emily and Jack and major alert for fluffness. I hope you guys enjoy it and I'm sorry for any errors.**

Chapter 3: Important People

"We not going home, daddy?" Jack asked with a frown as he watched his father driving towards a different neighborhood. Hotch sighed and parked the car by a small park a few blocks before his new place with Emily and looked at his son sitting on his car seat.

"We will, buddy. But before that, you and I need to have a very serious talk. A boy's talk. Can we do that?" He asked and so the boy's eyes widening.

"I'm in trouble?" He asked confused and Hotch chuckled at him.

"No, you're not. C'mon. Let's sit over those benches out there…" He said opening the driver's door and walking around the car to pick his son. He took the boy's hand and walked towards a small bench a few feet away for the little playground. He sat beside the little boy and smiled at the sight of his big hazel eyes staring at him. "Buddy. Do you remember when we had a talk about why I was going to live in a different place?" He started and Jack nodded.

"Yeah. You said that sometimes daddies and mommies stop loving each other and have to stay apart…" He answered with a little of sadness in his voice.

"That's right. I know that you'd want very much for us to live together again and that we'd spend more time together… I'd want to spend more time with you two, buddy. But, like I said, sometimes mommies and daddies start fighting too much because we stop agreeing with each other and stop loving each other and don't want to spend time together anymore. I told you before, that's not your fault, no way whatsoever. This kind of things just happen sometimes and even though it's sad, there's nothing we can do about… do you understand?"

"I do…" The boy nodded.

"Good. And remember when I told you that no matter what happens I will always be your dad and Haley will always be your mom and nothing ever is going to change that?" He asked.

"Yes, daddy…" Jack nodded again.

"Good, buddy." Hotch smiled and then sighed. "What I wanted to talk to you is that, sometimes, even if mommies and daddies stop loving each other and go on separate ways, we always need someone to love us and for us to love too. It's important to have a special person to take care of us and to help us to not feel lonely or sad. Do you understand?"

"Yes, daddy…"

"Okay. So, daddy met a very nice lady and she's spending a lot of time with me in the last couple of months. She's very pretty and sweet and daddy loves her very much." Hotch explained.

"Like you used to love mommy?" Jack asked.

"Yes, buddy. Like I used to love mommy. She's very special and she makes me very happy, every day." Hotch said.

"Why you can't love mommy like that anymore?" Jack asked innocently.

"Because we don't agree with each other anymore, buddy. Mommy and I started to fight a lot and that isn't good for anyone… we didn't want to stop loving each other but it happened and you can't make anyone love you. Love is a very special thing and you can't choose who you're going to love. It's God who sends us that important person and because they're a gift to you, you have to cherish and take care of them all the time…"

"So this nice lady is your gift?" Jack asked.

"Yes, buddy. She's a great gift and she makes me very happy, so I like to take care of her every day and to make her happy too…" Hotch explained and Jack nodded. "So, about this lady… she is important to daddy and she would like very much to meet you…"

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Because, you're the most important person in daddy's life and she can't love me without loving you too…" Hotch explained. "She's very excited to meet you and she wants to be your friend… do you think you could give her a chance? Maybe you'll like her too…" Hotch asked hopefully.

"What if I don't like her?"

"I won't force you to like her, buddy. If you don't like her than you won't have to see her… but I'd really like if you'd try… she's special to me and you're special to me too, and it would make me very happy to see my two special people being friends…" Hotch said.

Jack thought for a bit and Hotch waited patiently. "You said she's nice?" The boy asked looking up.

"She is… her name is Emily and she's very nice and funny… I really think you're going to like her…" Hotch said with a smile.

"Okay…" Jack nodded. "She is in your home?"

"No, buddy… daddy doesn't live in that place anymore. Emily and I wanted a bigger place to put all our things together so we're living in a big apartment now…" Hotch explained. "Emily helped me to make a room especially for you. We bought new bedsheets and a lot of toys and games and even a table for you to color your books and do your homework…" He said and saw the way the boy's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Really, really. She helped to choose everything and we organized everything especially for you… would you like to see it?" He asked.

"Yeah…" The boy nodded.

"Then let's go, buddy…" Hotch said getting up. They walked back to the car and started driving towards their condo.

"Daddy?" Jack called from his seat.

"Yes, buddy?" Hotch answered looking at the rearview.

"Do you think Emily is going to like me?" He asked apprehensively and Hotch smiled.

"I know she will, buddy…"

\\*\\*\\*\

Emily was pacing at her living room, anxiously. It had been over an hour since Hotch had gone to pick Jack and even though she knew that he was going to talk to Haley first and then he'd have to explain things to Jack before he brought the boy to the apartment, but she couldn't help but feel antsy as she waited for them to arrive.

She had probably checked the little boy's room at least a dozen of times, making sure that everything was perfect for him, all the new toys arranged and bed made with the Captain American sheets she had bought with Hotch. Her boyfriend had tried to tranquilize her before leaving, saying that he was sure that Jack would love her and that she didn't have a reason to be nervous about it because everything would be okay, but she just couldn't help but be terrified at the prospect of meeting the little Hotchner.

She knew that Jack meant a big deal and that if the boy didn't like her for any reason or didn't feel comfortable enough with her or in the apartment it would be a huge obstacle for them to surpass. Hotch had told her that she had a natural gift with children and deep down, she knew that it was true, proved by the way she dealt with children at the field when needed, or the times she had any contact with Henry, not to count the dream she had to become a mom someday.

Of course, she couldn't even think about becoming a maternal figure to Jack in the deepest meaning of the world, knowing that Haley would throw a fit if she even dreamed that she was trying to take her place. She knew that if, or even better, when she and Hotch get married she will be Jack's stepmother, and her role as an authority figure will be more permanent.

But the truth was that the only thing she wanted was for the boy to like her, to feel comfortable with her and with her relationship with his father, and most of all, to feel at home in that apartment because if he didn't, she knew it would be a big disappointment for her partner.

She heard the sound of the key on the lock as she paced for the hundredth time in the living room and held her breath as she watched Hotch getting inside, hand clasped with the little sand-hair boy. He was shy, of course, and she smiled inwardly as she noticed him quickly cataloguing the room and setting his eyes on her, before looking down at his toy clutched on his other hand.

"Hi, sweetheart." Hotch greeted her with a smile and chuckled at the way she was anxiously looking at the boy. He walked towards her, Jack following him at his side, and looked at his son with a smile. "Buddy, this is Miss Emily. Can you say hi to her?" He asked and Jack looked at Emily again, shyly.

"Hi, Miss Em'ly." He said with a quiet voice and the brunette grinned softly at him, kneeling down to stay at his high.

"Hello, sweetie. It's very nice to finally meet you… your father told me so many incredibly stories about you…" She said softly as the boy eyed her warily.

"Yeah…?" He inquired and she nodded quickly.

"Mhmm. He told me you love superheroes and mac and cheese and that you like to play a lot outside and also loves to draw beautiful drawings. Is that true?" She asked and the boy nodded eagerly.

"Yeah. Daddy makes the best mac and cheese ever…" He told her and she grinned.

"He does, uh? I'm a little jealous… he never made mac and cheese for me." She said with a slight pout. "You know what, I think it's his special food, just for you. Maybe you could ask him to cook tonight, then I'd see if it's really the best mac and cheese ever…" She suggested and Jack looked up at his father with big hazel eyes.

"Can you do it, daddy? Miss Em'ly wants to eat it and I want it too…" He asked hopefully and Hotch smiled fondly at the pair.

"Of course I can, buddy. Anything for my two special people…" He said ruffling his hair.

"Daddy told me you made a room just for me…" Jack said looking back at Emily.

"We sure did, sweetie." She nodded. "Your dad helped me to choose everything that you like and we set everything for you. Would you like to see it?" She asked and he nodded. She got up and offered her hand to him, smiling when he eyed his father inquisitively and just took it after his nod. She walked towards the boy's new room and opened the door, letting him inside. "Your dad told me you love Captain America, so we bought these sheets for your new bed. We also got a lot of new toys for you to play when you come over and this table for you to color your books or do your homework if you need it…" She said while showing him everything. The boy approached the bed and touched the red and blue sheets while looking at the toys in the shelves around the room and the small table filled with coloring books and crayons. "Do you like, sweetheart?" She asked at him.

"Mhmm. It's very nice… thank you, Miss Em'ly…" He said and Emily beamed at him.

"You're very welcome, honey."

"Hey buddy, guess what?" Hotch caught their attention while stepping into the room. "Emily is a big fan of Harry Potter too…" He told the boy who looked at the brunette with wide eyes.

"She is?"

"Oh, yeah. She has all the books and DVDs, the special editions, with extras and a lot of fun stuff…" Hotch nodded. "I'm sure that she'll let you see them if you ask her…"

"Can we, Miss Em'ly?" He asked the brunette hopefully and Emily couldn't avoid the fluttering in her belly at the sight.

"Of course we can, honey." She said and the boy beamed. "How about we watch the first one before dinner?" She suggested and he nodded excitedly.

"Can we, daddy?" He looked at his father who nodded at him.

"Of course, buddy. Let's go to the kitchen to make popcorn while Emily sets the DVD for us…" He suggested and the boy nodded, putting his Captain America toy in his bed along with his backpack and walked out of the room, towards the living room. Hotch approached Emily quickly and circled her waist, bringing her close to him and stealing a quick but heated kiss from her. "I love you." He whispered at her and she grinned at him.

"I love you, too." She whispered back and kissed him again. "Let's go. Harry Potter waits us." She said and nudged him outside the room, her whole body tingling with happiness instead of the previous nervousness.

\\*\\*\\*\

"Are you all set, sweetie?" Emily asked as she stepped inside Jack's room later that evening. The three of them had watched Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and then Hotch went to make their dinner while Emily showed Jack all the extras of the DVD. They ate dinner and Emily admitted to Jack that it was indeed the best mac and cheese ever, making Hotch grin at them.

They explored a bit of Jack's new toys after dinner and Hotch chuckled repeatedly at the sight of his thirty-something years old girlfriend sitting on the floor with his four years old son, both of them making train sounds and laughing as they played together. Hotch had taken care of Jack's bath while Emily arranged everything back into its places and set the bedroom ready for the boy to sleep.

"Yes, Miss Em'ly…" Jack nodded as he lay on his bed.

"Well, then good night, honey. Sweet dreams…" She said with a smile and leaned down to press a kiss on his forehead as she adjusted the blanket on him. She left the room as Hotch was coming in, squeezing his arm on her way out.

"Hey buddy." Hotch said sitting at his side on the bed. "Did you have fun today?"

Jack nodded at him with a smile. "I did… Miss Em'ly is fun…" He said and Hotch grinned.

"She is, isn't she?"

"And she's very pretty too…" Jack said and Hotch chuckled.

"That she is, buddy…"

Jack hesitated for a second before looking at his father. "I really like her, daddy…" He said and Hotch sighed happily, smiling at his son.

"I'm really glad, buddy. Really glad…" He said and leaned down to press a kiss on his forehead. "Good night, buddy. Love you…"

"Love you, daddy…" The boy mumbled as he closed his eyes. Hotch turned on the small lamp on his nightstand and turned off the bedroom's light on his way out, closing the door quietly behind him. He walked towards the master bedroom, having already closed everything before going to Jack's room, and smiled at the sight of his girlfriend sitting on their bed, brushing her hair.

"He's out like a light. The day was pretty exciting for him…" Hotch said and Emily grinned.

"He did have a lot of fun, didn't he?"

"He sure did, sweetheart. He just told me that Miss Em'ly is a very funny and really pretty and he liked her a lot…" He said grabbing her hands and pulling her up in front of him, circling her waist and pressing a kiss on her forehead.

"Really?" Emily beamed.

"Really, really. You officially have the Jack Hotchner's seal of approval…" He teased and she chuckled.

"He's a very sweet little boy."

"Mhmm…" He said while leaning down to trace a line of kisses on her shoulders, up to her neck before reaching her ear. "You were incredible with him…" He murmured while nipping her ear.

"Mmm…" Emily moaned while arching her back towards him. "You can't seriously be expecting to have sex with your four year old boy in the next room…" She gasped at him and he chuckled.

"We have to start training for when we have our own…" He murmured softly into her ear. "You can't seriously expect me to watch you being so wonderful with my son the whole day and to not want to ravish you after that…" He growled at her huskily and she moaned and chuckled. She squealed quietly as he suddenly lifted her up into his arms and threw her on the bed and covered her body with his. "I guess it's time for us to see if we can be quiet…" He whispered and swallowed her laugh in a deep kiss.

 **A/N: There will be another part of their weekend together. Reviews are appreciated and the next update won't take so long.**


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